A tiny whimper from Emma's room jolted me awake around 2 AM. I lay there for a second, hoping she'd just roll over and go back to sleep. But then I heard it again—a scared little cry that made me bolt out of bed in my pajamas.
I found Emma sitting up, all sweaty, clutching her dolphin toy. Her eyes were huge and scared in the nightlight glow.
"Mommy," she whispered, reaching for me with shaky hands. "The sad lady was in my dream again."
My heart just squeezed. I pulled her close, feeling her little body tremble. "It was just a dream, sweetie. You're okay."
"But she was trying to take me away from you and Daddy," Emma said into my shoulder. "She said I belonged with her instead."
That gave me the creeps. Even in her dreams, Sophia was messing with my kid, planting doubts in her head.
